Those who follow Arkansas football recruiting closely took note of how three-star Razorback quarterback pledge Lucas Coley (6-1, 203 pounds) opened his season in spectacular fashion.
Coley rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and also passed for 147 yards and a touchdown as his San Antonio Cornerstone Christian squad downed Calallen 24-20 on Friday.
He had two big highlight plays, scoring on a dazzling 73-yard scramble when his protection broke down, and a 60-yard catch and run to Jayden Gardner that proved to be the game winner.
But even more impressive than his on-field heroics may have have been his actions before the two teams took the field.
Gabriel Cooley, Calallen’s kicker, was tragically stabbed inside a Calallen Walmart on Sunday and died while being transported to the hospital.
Coley, who chose Arkansas over Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Illinois, Louisville, Houston, Yale, Vanderbilt and UCF and others, took to Twitter with a heartfelt message before the game.
“Rest Easy Gabe,” Coley wrote. “Both teams playing for you this Friday. Fly High.”
Both teams met at midfield before the game with number 80 jerseys to honor Cooley.
Coley, who joins Little Rock Parkview’s Landon Rogers (6-5, 215) as quarterback pledges in Arkansas’ 2021 class, was featured from 2014-17 on 41 episodes of the reality TV show Friday Night Tykes on the Esquire and USA networks.
It documented youth football leagues in Texas with Coley, who is now 16 and mature enough to have skipped a grade, having a starring role.
Coley accounted for over 3,000 yards total offense and 30 touchdowns last season for a 7-3 team led by head coach John Bachman.
“Lucas is like a coach on the field,” Bachman told the Corpus Christi Caller Times. “Lucas has done an excellent job for us. He’s got all the measurables. He can throw it. He ran run it. He’s also good at those intangibles that go unnoticed, like his leadership ability. That’s what I’m most impressed with.”
Coley has been active on social media recruiting fellow 2021 Razorback targets and class of 2022 prospects as well.
“Any 2022 prospects wondering “Why Arkansas” HIT MY DM,” Coley tweeted earlier this week. “It’s easy to join powerhouse, takes a different breed to build your own.”
Coley, who works with quarterbacks coach Yale Vannoy, and Cornerstone will get back to action this Friday when it takes on Trinity Christian.
The game will feature Coley and Florida Atlantic quarterback commit Sheduer Sanders, whose dad is Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Deion Sanders is also the team’s offensive coordinator.
Sheduer Sanders had 389 yards of total offense and outdueled former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin’s son, Kaden, while leading his team to a 49-14 win over Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic in a game last week that was nationally televised by ESPN.